Lull
by LanaS
Summary: RoChu. Yao stays up one night and Ivan surprises him.


Lull

Footsteps echoed through the corridor as loud as booming thunder. It wasn't that the person was raucous, but in the perfect silence, without even the air conditioning running, Yao's already sensitive hearing became as acute as an animal's. And the footsteps were distinct. _Thud thud, thud, thud thud. _He'd know them anywhere. Lying in bed, eyes staring through the dark at the wall, clutching a pillow to his chest, Yao listened for the grating of metal key against metal lock. The doorknob jiggled, turned, and the front door opened. Yao opened his eyes. The footsteps remained beyond the bedroom door, in the living room, moving around before walking into to the kitchen.

Yao opened the door quietly, tip-toeing down the hall. Ivan's scarf was hung on the coat rack over his coat. Two suitcases leaned against the couch. Yao peered around a corner into the kitchen. The main light was off. Ivan hunched over the refrigerator. The pale light made his back and broad shoulders glow. He stepped into the kitchen, his hands still lightly touching the wall, and he watched Ivan search through the refrigerator for something.

Ivan turned his head away and sneezed.

"Bless you."

Ivan shot up so quickly his bangs bounced. "Yao! Did I wake you?" His wide eyes relaxed and he shifted.

"No. I was awake anyway."

"Oh."

Yao felt the wall for the light switch and flicked it. Ivan's suit was unbuttoned and a little wrinkled and his tie, the gold and red one the Yao bought for him last fall, was loosened. He stared at Yao wordlessly, like a child who had been caught sneaking around.

"Can't you sleep?" He asked, swinging the refrigerator door closed. He clutched a bottle of vodka by the neck in his hand.

"It's not a problem. I was going to have some wine. Vodka will work, too." Yao smiled and watched the effect it had on the other man. Ivan's muscles relaxed and he smiled back, his tired eyes shining.

"Okay."

Ivan poured two shots and they went back to the bedroom. They clinked their glasses. Ivan began to undress as Yao settled back into bed, the sheets holding a little residual heat. He pulled them up to his hips and waited. Ivan tossed his jacket, tie, and shirt over the back of a chair

"I thought you weren't returning until Tuesday."

"The meeting ended early and I wanted to surprise you." Ivan grinned, digging through the dresser drawer for his extra set of pajama pants.

"I am surprised. I'm surprised when your meetings end on time, let alone early."

Ivan chuckled. "It's great when we can work things out quickly. It's easier on everyone, and I get to see my Yao sooner."

Yao crossed his arms. "Well, you could have called."

"But then it wouldn't have- been- a- surprise-"

Yao didn't have an argument to this, so he pulled the covers up to his chin and turned on his side. His eyelids drooped, heavy but not necessarily sleepy. A few seconds later the light flicked off and the bed dipped under Ivan's weight.

"Did you miss me?" Ivan always asked this when he got back from a business trip.

"Yes." Yao murmured into his pillow. "I really wasn't expecting you home tonight."

"Is that bad?"

"No." Yao lifted his head. "Ivan, kiss me." Ivan obliged. In the dark, Yao could feel Ivan's eager smile against his lips as they kissed for the first time in three days. The younger man was excited, hungry for this touch. In the heat of the moment, Yao slipped his arm around Ivan's waist. Afterwards he sighed and touched his forehead to Ivan's shoulder. Yao relaxed while the sound of Ivan's breathing seemed to fill the whole room.

"Yao," Ivan whispered the name. "_Are_ you having trouble sleeping?" An idle hand fiddled with the ends of Yao's loose hair, fingers occasionally brushing against the back of his neck.

It would be better if Ivan just fell asleep. _He must be exhausted from the flight_. But Yao knew if Ivan wasn't satisfied he wouldn't sleep, and he was young and could handle insomnia better than Yao.

"I've gotten used to your snoring."

Ivan didn't respond for so long Yao thought he might have drifted off. "I snore?"

"A little. I guess I'm so used to ignoring it that I can't help but get distracted when it's not there." Yao sucked in his lips. "Can I go to sleep now?"

"Mm-hm." Cold fingers stroked Yao's cheek. Yao turned onto his back and yawned. With Ivan in bed with him, their combined body heat was quickly forming a cocoon of warmth under the sheets. It weighed like a firm hand on Yao's chest, pushing him closer and closer over the edge to deep slumber.

Ivan said something. Yao couldn't make out if it was English or Russian.

"What?"

He said it again.

"Ivan, I'm really tired right now. You tell me in the morning if it's important."

But Ivan stubbornly pressed close to Yao, his breath tickling his ear. "Yao, I love you."

Yao wasn't sure if Ivan said that or if he dreamed it.

* * *

A/N: Due to actual sleep deprivation, I can't tell if this is good, properly edited, or a bunch of jumbled scribblings that float before my eyes. Even though I like RoChu, I don't understand the dynamics of the couple, mostly because of China. Well, all because of China. I can get China/England (what's the ship name for that?), and every single other Russia pairing that exists (because all will become one with Russia, да?), but I don't get RoChu. Writing this didn't help.


End file.
